彼
that; those; (one) another
Closest English meanings
that·the other·those
The Calligrapher — Mǐ Fú 米芾
Song eccentric genius of dynamic, 'flying' running script.
Song calligrapher (1051–1107), master of running script — Song eccentric genius ('crazy Zhang, idiot Mi') whose running script alternates discipline with glee. Song dynasty
Cultural Story
彼 is the other shore, the there across from here. 詩經 gathers 彼采葛兮, she who picks ferns over there, just out of reach, and 彼岸 is the far bank the 曼珠沙華 blooms on, the world after this one. The character is distance made personal, the not-you that you watch.
Common words & phrases
- 彼此 each other · one another · mutual
- 彼岸 the other shore · paradise · the opposite bank
- 彼时 at that time · then
- 彼处 that place · there
Read the story behind the character
彼此 is the word that ends a thank-you, 彼岸 the opposite bank a ferry crosses, or the afterlife a funeral mentions. The ferns are a text from someone far; the far bank is still death. We name the other shore constantly, and cross to it seldom, which is the old grief exactly.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Mǐ Fú 米芾, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.